What is Earthquake Weather?
It’s a close, oppressive day, perhaps hot and humid, with clouds appearing overhead and no rain in sight. People may look at such a day as typical earthquake weather, a term used to describe weather patterns that suggest an earthquake might be forthcoming. Actually there’s no such thing as earthquake weather, and a general study of the pattern and occurrences of earthquakes show they occur in all seasons, all temperatures, all times of the day, and in many different weather patterns.
The philosopher and intellectual, Aristotle surmised that earthquakes were caused by winds in caves, and as such, there was specific earthquake weather. This is definitely not the case. Like most people, Aristotle was looking to explain things that were mysteries by making logical hypotheses. Since Aristotle, numerous people have pointed to various signs of the weather, and this varies, as earthquake weather.
While weather patterns may not cause earthquakes, they may influence the amount of damage caused by an earthquake. Prior to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, several months of heavy rain had caused the ground beneath structures to become jelly-like, translating to greater shaking of buildings and more overall damage. The rains didn’t cause the earthquake, but they made its result more severe.
In recent studies, a theory that is gaining greater acceptance is that slight differentiations in thermal temperature, as viewed by satellite, may end up being a good predictor of certain types of earthquakes. These changes in temperature have occurred before some of the major earthquakes in the early 21st and late 20th century, and a body of evidence is being gathered that might someday help to predict earthquakes. Thermal changes tend to occur only a few hours before earthquakes, don’t tend to affect the weather, and may not offer enough time for earthquake warnings.
As yet, we have no reliable predictors for earthquakes, and we are far removed from predicting just how bad an earthquake might be. Scientists rely on probabilities rather than predictions. For instance, it is probable that San Francisco is likely to have a large earthquake, which has been called “The Big One” for over 30 years. What is probable is not always predictable. General statements from seismologists now focus on statements like, “We’re sure it will happen, but don’t know when it will happen.”
Instead of using signs of earthquake weather as a guide for predicting earthquakes, it makes greater sense to ready you and your family for a potential earthquake. This is especially the case if you live in certain earthquake prone areas of the world. There are numerous Internet sites, which focus on earthquake preparedness, and can give you a little ease of mind if you feel nervous on earthquake weather days, or on any other day throughout the year.
Written by Tricia Ellis-Christensen
